CBS News recently caught up with researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to get a glimpse of the future, including its research into tracking people through walls using wireless signals.
The project, called "Emerald," uses low-frequency wireless signals to not only detect people's position in a room, but also their elevation from the floor, making it a useful technology for better protecting seniors who are at risk of falling. First responders could also benefit by knowing exactly where people are in buildings in other life-threatening situations.
Emerald will also read a person's respiration and heart rate without wires. "Being able to get the breathing and heart rate in such a cluttered environment with people around, that was like, an 'ah-ha' moment for us. Wow, it is that sensitive," said Professor Dina Katabi, who is leading the project. Article